Here’s a look at a few newsworthy picks, as well as a look at what’s coming down the road.

Garmin Vivosmart

Garmin Vivosmart

First there was the Vivofit Fitness Bracelet ($109.99); now there’s Vivosmart ($169.99), a much more versatile wristband to keep you in the know. Available in five colours, the Garmin Vivosmart handles all the fitness features you’d expect — calculating your steps, distance, calories burned, time and heart rate. But this Bluetooth-enabled device also displays information from your nearby smartphone such as incoming texts, emails and calls. Simply touch and swipe the OLED screen to read more.

Sitting idle too long playing on your PlayStation 4? After an hour of inactivity, Vivosmart vibrates to let you know that it’s time to move; walk just a couple of minutes to reset the timer.

A sleep mode monitors how restful your night is, and can wake you up (but not your partner) with its silent vibrating alarm. The Vivosmart has a water rating of 5 ATM (50 metres), so you can shower or swim with it on, too.

Moto 360

Moto 360

Motorola’s Moto 360 ($279) is about time. And messages, traffic, weather, flight alerts, maps and photos. Built on the new Android Wear platform, this is a sleek smartwatch with a four-centimetre round face, multiple analog and digital faces to choose from. Available in Stone Gray and Black Leather, Moto 360 wakes up when you say “OK, Google,” followed by a number of commands, such as “Set a reminder,” “Send a text,” “Check the weather” or “Give me directions.” As with most other fitness bands and smartwatches, there’s also a built-in pedometer and heart-rate monitor. Keep in mind a nearby Android phone is needed to get the most out of this wearable device.

Samsung Gear S

Samsung Gear S

Samsung’s latest smartwatch, the Gear S ($399.99), is slightly larger than its competitors, but wearers won’t likely mind thanks to two unique features. For one, the five-centimetre Super AMOLED display is curved, like those fancy new TVs, and thus fits the contour of your wrist. Secondly, the Gear S doesn’t need a nearby smartphone, as it supports its own cellular connection.

Just pop in a SIM card and you can go out for a jog — and be called, texted or emailed via a 3G network — while leaving your smartphone at home. The watch also works over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, too.

While, as of this writing, Canadian cellular pricing isn’t yet confirmed, as a point of reference U.S. carrier T-Mobile sells a $5-per-month plan for unlimited talk, text and up to 500 MB of data.

While available now only in the U.S. as part of the open-beta Explorer Program, Google Glass (US$1,500) has garnered quite a bit of buzz as the first mainstream wearable computer that looks like a pair of eyeglasses but with a small see-through heads-up display near the right eye to provide info on the go.

Whether it’s to capture and share your adventures, translate languages or get directions from point A to B, Google Glass could be the Next Big Thing in the tech world — providing it can address various privacy and security concerns. Many thousands of app developers are already creating apps to help unleash the true potential of this technology.

It is possible to order Google Glass online from Canada through a third party (e.g. EBay), but don’t expect it this season.

Apple Watch

Apple Watch

Available in spring of 2015 and starting at $349, Apple Watch will let active types stay in touch, access info, set fitness goals and pay for goods and services at retail. Utilizing the Digital Crown button on the side of the watch (for navigating menus and activating Siri) and Force Touch on the watch’s screen (distinguishing between a finger tap and press), you can send and receive messages, answer calls on a nearby iPhone (iPhone 4s or newer) and access real-time info, such as live sports scores from your favourite team.

Along with a pedometer to count steps, Apple Watch also comes equipped with an accelerometer and GPS (to gauge movement), barometer, heart- rate monitor and other info, which is then analyzed by the bevy of exercise-centric apps including Activity, Workout and Fitness.